'Strike Back' S.3 Ep.8 preview: 'Naked Punch'

Throughout Season 3 of Cinemax's "Strike Back," we've gotten to see the softer side of Sgt. Damien Scott.

Earlier in the season, he came face-to-face with his feelings for Mossad agent Rebecca (Lyne Renee) when their missions crossed paths. He's been sweetly supportive of his partner, Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), as he's dealt with the fallout from his wife's muder last season and his health issue this season. Then he meets Ester (Amy-Leigh Hickman), the young daughter of double agent Leo Kamali (Zubin Varla).

They struck up a friendship that seemed kind of odd for Scott. I mean, the guy usually sees women in two ways—and both involve him schtupping them. But we've learned that meeting Ester made Scott, who also season has been contemplating life outside of Section 20, think about the child of his he has never met. I talked to Stapleton duing San Diego Comic-Con about the more mature Sgt. Scott, and about Stapleton's friendship with Hickman. (watch the video above; if you can't view it, watch on my YouTube page.)

We see Ester briefly in the latest episode of the series, which I will call "Naked Punch" since no one official names the damn things. It premieres at 9 p.m. CT Oct. 4 on Cinemax with replays throughout the weekend.

As you can see in the exclusive to RedEye clip below, Scott and Russian Maj. Nina Pirogova (Tereza Srbova) escape from Black Bear Prison while Col. Locke (Robson Green) becomes suspicious of Kamali.

Stonebridge, his condition worsening from the botulism poisoning, has been moved to another location where he's just another specimen for the mad scientist Dr. Takenaka (Togo Igawa). In the second clip below, Stonebridge is fighting for his life as he tries to get information from Dr. Valigny (Carolin Stoltz).

And that's where my title suggestion comes into play. When I spoke to Winchester in May while he was still filming in Budapest, he teased the following, which should please his fans.

"I have some similar fighting as Scott did in the first season, if you know what I mean," he said. And I did. "You know how Scott had a naked fight? I've got to film that next week. So I won't be shagging anyone, but I've got some very close quarter combat."